Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Life Writing

My second year of college I had to take English 102 for a second time.  This was not because I did poorly the first time; it was the contrary; I had done well.  It was due to a transfer glitch where my credits did not correspond with the curriculum in a compatible way.  It turns out I should have been put in honors English but had not been (due to the transfer).  There were 2 good outcomes from this unfortunate bit of bureaucracy.  One, it turned out the professor teaching my section was the department chair and was a good teacher and a nice person.  Two, I wrote an essay that supposed what I wanted out of life.  I have never forgotten that essay, even though I no longer have a copy of it.  I wished to own a cottage with a walled garden.  I wished for a studio and a library.  I wished for steady work and security.  I wanted a canoe or a kayak, a dog, and a good bike.  I wanted a nice kitchen to cook good food and enjoy good wine, leisurely, in my garden each evening.

What do I want now?  Health, companionship, good food and drink, a peaceful sanctuary to call my own.  Not much has changed.  I am no longer naive.  I want to do good work that matters.  I want to make my mark on the world and do my part to make the world a little better.  I want good food, good wine, flowers, and a big ole oak tree.  I want leisure time to paint, garden, bike, and read.  I still want to share sunsets and wine, good food, and dreams, and my bed every night with someone I can call my own, my kin.

I am living my life at the pace that is possible and the speed that is comfortable.  I am reaching for the space that is uncomfortable, as Seth Godin would put it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to set down roots and drink deep waters. 

1 comment:

  1. I'm very much reaching for the space that's uncomfortable as well. Only, given how nomadic I am at heart, my own deliciously uncomfortable space doesn't lie in putting down roots, but in seeing the world.

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